Jagr and Avery contracts still being discussed

I have been immersed in all things golf lately, although my thoughts are never too far from frozen water.

And today we have Dellapina to thank for some updates from Glen Sather on both Jaromir Jagr and Sean Avery (his newspaper story “here”:http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/2008/06/03/2008-06-03_untitled__r3s.html, and his blog entry “here”:http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/2008/06/greeting-from-the-nhl-gm-meeti.html).

The basic gist: Sather wants to re-sign both, but not if it means tying the team’s hands when it comes to the salary cap. With Jagr there is also the issue of a competing deal from his former Russian Super League team in Omsk.

My feeling about Jagr is that unless the money is off the charts in Russia, I don’t think he’s ready to say goodbye to the NHL. That’s based both on how he played at the end of last year, but also what he said.

As for Avery, I’m with many of you who think he’s a valuable asset the Rangers shouldn’t let go into free agency. That said, there’s a limit: I don’t think Avery is a $4 million player, and I have serious reservations about giving him four years when both his personality and durability remain question marks for the long-term.

107 Comments

$3.25m 2-year deal or a $3m 3-year deal for avery. After watching parts of the Wings/Penguins Finals, its pretty easy to see how much better the Wings are than the rest of the NHL. So fast , so skilled. They don’t need a pain in the ass like Avery to be a good team. I love Avery, but he’s not the answer. He’s a nice part of the puzzle if the price is right. But if we pay too much for Avery, along with the other large contracts the Rangers are currently carrying, the CAP is going to be a problem.

I’ve watched all the games of the Finals and the real question is why did we give up on Samuelson? Detroit is oozing with talent, but their d finally faltered last night, yet the team still looks like they are destined.

Avery will sign on the cheap (relatively speaking)bc he cannot find the New York style anywhere else. I’m sure Slats is cat and mouse-ing him. I would love to have Jags back without the other Czechmates playing with him (at least not on the PP).

Timay – dude, seriously? Sammy’s had a few good shots in the POs, but if you had watched him during the regular season, you wouldn’t ask that question.

as for Avery and Jagr – I’d like Jagr back for another year, but would he take a paycut? Maybe something bonus-laden, just to try and guarantee we see more of the late-season/post-season Jagr rather than the other Jagr we had this year. Avery, I love him, I really do, but no way for $4mil/year. I’d be okay, though, with something around $10mil for 3 years, or even $11mil.

Jagr had what 14 r 15 points in the playoff series he played that lead the Rangers and was high up in rank in the NHL until the other rounds began so what says he is done about the finals?
I want him back hopefully for 5 million. Avery I think 3 million. He had been successful with the Rangers but not with other teams so I don’t know if teams are willing to take the chance for 4 million: will they get awesome Avery from the Rangers or we can’t wait to get him out of town Avery from the Kings? I think the spleen injury and the apparently genetic problem he has with his wrists will also effect other teams.

Jagr would simply not be able to compete in last nights game. Detroit would shut him down so f*cking bad the minute he tried to set up along the boards or control the puck deep. NOR would Jagr have the persistance to backcheck as well as needed at that level.

But I forgot that everyone here gets their jollies just making it to the playoffs and stroking themselves to sleep over the notion that “hey, anything can happen in the playoffs!”

Thats one of the dumbest things I’ve heard yet, and it will never happen.

Drop Drury’s 5 mil or whatever a year to pay Hossa 8 Mil?
Talk about handcuffing next years team
Thank god your not running things

And JAgr leading with points in the playoffs til we got knocked out? Hmm yeah he’s washed up. I’d rather have Jags back for two years even in his worst points year (which was 71 points dont forget) then trying to get shaky Hossa for double the price. Remember his brother? HE didnt work out too well either.

Thank you, Sam, for mentioning Avery’s durability. Don’t give the guy a 4 year contract. Don’t give him crazy money, either. He’s a fan favorite, but he hasn’t proved he can provide any part of his game all year long, whether it’s offensive punch, “sandpaper,” or simply taking the ice. As far as I can tell, when he’s in a game, he distracts his opponents, but when he’s not playing he distracts his team and the fans and neither group believes the Rangers can win without him and so the team plays like bummed out sissies and it becomes a self-fulfilling loss.

Um even if you were shut down by the Red Wings that doesn’t mean you are finished. And its not getting jollies and saying anything can happen Jagr was awesome in the series he played. Would he have been shut down by the Red WIngs? Maybe. But the WIngs have outscored the Pens 14-8 are all the Penguins finsihed? Crobsy Malkin and Hossa are finished?

Yeah good exposure last night when people went to their late night show and it was exciting too.

When a guy’s the fan favorite and the team obviously plays better (noticably on the ice and in wins-losses)I’d never let that guy go…but Avery is a live wire…he should ask for 4mill/yr for 4 years, but should accept happily a 2.5mil/yr for 2yrs…NY and the Rangers are as good to him as he is to them…

i’d like to see avery for 2-3 more years and at least one more jagr year for dubinski growing. i would like to see jagr-dub-avery next year again (why did we change that?). as for that game last night simply amazing… i wanna see it go to 7 with another 3ot and crysby go home doing what hes good at crying.

I think Avery should play for us for nothing. Since coming to NY his popularity has tripled, not just with us hockey fans but through out the NY area. he can make a living posing with Vanity fair or whatever the heck it is.

This does not have much to do with today’s discussion, but I for one will say that Marion Hossa proved a lot to me this year in the playoffs. The guy is 3rd in scoring I believe. I am not saying we should go after the guy, but I definitely wrote him off as a definite playoff performing bust.

How can Hossa not be playing well he has probably has the best set up man (wait set up boy) (wait set up girl) on his line. He has to look good for whom ever picks him up for next year. I was thinking about this, with the Pens success, do they really have top trade him for next year???? I am a believer in if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

NO HOSSA!
Talk about overspending, he’s gonna be looking for a BRian Campbell pay day. Let the PEns try and keep him and overspend on him. There goign to be losing half there team as it is to Free Agency. I still wqouldnt Mind Malone on our team, but he’s on eof the only Pens Id want, the rest of them can go F themselves.

And also, I will NEVER root for the whiners to win. Even the other day, Gonchar or some douche bag on there team was giving an interview about the entire playoffs/rivalries and made it a point to say how they all hate the Rangers
F them, they deserve to lose, and even after last nights miracle win, there going to blow it. Just look what it took for there team to actually get a win, two injured players, 3 OT’s. and Detroit wasnt even playing there best game.

Sorry last nights hiccup will be forgetten when the Wings are getting the cup presented to them at the SHitgloo.
I think its atcually going to be sweeter to see the Pens have to host the cup party in there building to another team, and watch CIndy and Michele cry on each others shoulder

That watch has some personality (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Hossa’s looked good, like he’s interested and hungry. That being said, I think he’s looking for a payday above anything else. I can see some desperate team signing him for 8-9M a year.

Last night’s game was amazing, LOTS of back and forth action, great goaltending, and offense. Both teams showed why they’re playing for the cup with a game like last night’s.

On a side note, I found myself REALLY jealous last night… Because of how into it the fans were, and how excited they all were, to be playing for the cup, and almost taste it. I wonder if and when we’ll experience that again. After watching last night, I’m really craving it.

Good to see yet another Ranger fan who pays close attention to detail. Drury gets *SE7EN MILLION* a year ($85,300+ PER GAME…LET THAT SINK IN)

I would drop that contract in _less than a second_ if it meant we could pick up Hossa up for ~$8M. The only knock anyone could ever make on Hossa is that he doesn’t show up in the playoffs, which is now completely shot down.

You want to talk about *HANDCUFFING*? Chris Drury is a MAJOR handcuff on us. He’s a _good_ player, but HE IS NOT AN ELITE PLAYER IN ANY SENSE OF THE WORD. He’s eating cap space and has very questionable production. He won a cup 10 years ago on a STACKED team and he’s a SHITTY leader who couldn’t get Buffalo to the finals. Lest we forget, The Sabres basically told him to get lost.

Dump Jagr. The only way this team is going to build and center around the Drurys and Gomers and get a set style together is if they dont resign Jagr (and Straka as a tag-along)

I could live with a one year deal for Jagr but to be honest whats the sense. A two year deal would kill the Rangers, mark my word. Those of you pushing to keep Jagr and signing him are going to regret it.

Everyone forgets the first 60 games of the season and how invisible he was.

we are better off not signing any one to big money this year as next year’s free agent forwards are much better. granted not all of them will make it to the market, but some elite guys will be out there. hossa is good but can he handle being the guy who has to score a lot and do we have the space for another 8 mill player. i like drury but that signing and the amount of money we gave henrik (who is no doubt great but i am just of the opinion that a third year player should not be paid like a 8th year player) could be an issue going forward.

as far as pens/wings go, wings were dominate in the third period and first overtime except for that inexcusable collapse with 30 seconds left in the 3rd. if fleury didnt stand on his head, the wings would already have the cup, which i still believe they will in the next day or so. either way wings are fun to watch and it makes me really wish we had a team of fast players like that so in that regards ditch jagr and shanny

Yeah Hossa has surprised me in the playoffs but I think he is going to be heading west to join his brother. I want Jagr back for one ore year and I would love Avery back but not for 4 mil.
The big whole to fill is defense. I hear Tyutin had a good run in the recent international play bt he needs to shape up in the NHL and earn his money. Do the RAngers bring up another youngster (Saur) Sanguinetti is gonna spend sometime in Hartford I believe. So where does that leave the Rangers defensively? Stall played better this year than I thought he would for a rookie. Is Mara a free agent? Malik is gone. Rozsival is a free agent. And I think the Rangers are stuck with Backman for at least one more year. Who is out there for the Rangers to try and get to help defense?

I like Drury, I have since Colorado beat the Devils for the Cup (he had some INCREDIBLE moves in that series)… But I agree we overpaid for him. But that’s not exactly Drury’s fault. Its not like Sather would offer him 7M a year, and he’d say, “no, you know what? I’d rather have 5M a year”.

But I agree we overpaid for him. But thatâ€™s not exactly Druryâ€™s fault. Its not like Sather would offer him 7M a year, and heâ€™d say, â€œno, you know what? Iâ€™d rather have 5M a yearâ€.

……….

I don’t neccessarily blame Drury as a person. I’m sure he’d like t be Elite and tries as hard as he can… the hard reality is that, that _just doesn’t matter_. It does not make him *worth* $7M per year…and that equals “financial handcuffs”. It’s because of Chris Drury’s contract that Avery is becoming such an issue, and lots more players down the line will have contact issues because we’ve agreed to pay Drury so much money against our cap. That would be fine if Drury was an Elite player. But he’s not.

It bothers my soul that so many New York fans are so quick to give him a pass because of what the media says about him. The guy was invisible vs PIT. In the salary cap world you can’t sign a guy like Drury for $7M and not have it haunt the shit out of you down the line. You just can’t. How anyone can say they’d rather have stuffy Drury waddling around the ice instead of Marion Hossa, a TRULY ELITE hockey player, is beyond me… and I’d have to say that those people are fixated on the name and story of Drury, rather than what it is going to take to win….

(someone said above they love him because of when he was on a team 8 years ago, 3 teams removed from where he is now…this guy has been “let go” from more teams than Sean Avery)

I don’t think people are giving Drury a pass because of what the media said. If we followed the media that blindly, we’d all hate Avery and be Brodeur fans too.

People like him cause he’s a good solid player, always puts forth effort. Does he have tons of pure talent and skill? probably not. but he works hard every shift, plays solid D, and despite being a smaller guy, ACTUALLY plants in front of the net when the Rangers control the puck.

At the same time, am I happy with his contract? No. I don’t think he’s worth 7M a year either. but I’m not gonna say he has “questionable production”, is crappy, or he waddles around either. Get pissed at Sather and Rangers management, not the guy who got a huge payday BECAUSE OF THEM.

Avery can not get 4 years – 3 years tops. and no where near $ 4 mm/per. Drury is somewhat overpaid. so is Henrik and Tyutin among others. we should tread very lightly on free agents as guys like Staal and Dubinsky will be looking for theirs soon enough.

trade a small forward for a good young dman. we lack size big time among forwards. and buy out Hollweg.

Some abstract thoughts… We basically traded matt cullen for chris drury, drury is twice as expensive and scored what, 15 more points than cullen? Cullen was considered a HUGE disappointment. Cullen won faceoffs, killed penalties, and is a pretty good power play player-Which of course didn’t matter to Tom Renney and the genius crew, there is your 15 points right there, seeing as Drury played at least a minute on most pps this season. That being said, Hossa would be a waste, he can’t play the trap with no transition game, he wouldn’t score, he’d hate the coach, the media would hate him, etc..

Malone sucks, he is basically Drury with even less talent and would ask for probably $4 mil a year. The only available player who I want from Pit is Brooks Orpik, former 5th overall pick really starting to establish himself. He can be Jeff Beukeboom reincarnated.

As for Avery, sign him. At least when the Rangers are playing another boring 1-0 or 1-1 or 2-1 game against the devils or islanders there will be SOMETHING (one) worth watching!

Let’s please make some REAL improvement in the defensemen dept: year after year the Rangers continually rush in to grab the player (usually a forward) with the highest market value, but neglecting deficiencies on the back-end while over-loading the front-end will not simply translate to increased productivity.

I understand Malik is gone but I can only tremble when I imagine the back-end lineup next year with Chris Backman player the 6th man. Real improvements, particularly in the attrition aspect and crease-defense are clearly the largest causes of this tremble. Let’s address this first.

Jagr, like Sam Weinman mentioned, is going to stay – I assume Straka will as well. Avery is a stickier case but nonetheless deserves a raise based on performance. A ‘glue’ type of player ala Brunette and Rolston, or those with sandpaper edges should also be considered in the front-end.

Good luck with your summer. Sorting between Dawes and Prucha should be tough.

I liked him when he was on the Rangers, real good first season but he struggled mightily in his second year and Pitt wanted NHL talent for Kovalev and he seemed like an odd man out. He looked no better than a 3rd liner at that stage of his career and PITT and Florida gave up on him. Detroit took a risk and the new rules have paid off plus he’s a lot older now and more mature. Good guy, wish him luck.

What Tiger Woods said was classless. He’s supposed to be an ambassador and an American Icon I honestly liked the guy but I just lost a great deal of respect for him. if any of you saw George Carlin’s last special which was very good called “It’s Bad For ya”, he started out the show saying “Thank you…first off, I’d like to say “F— Tiger Woods”…I agree with that, go back to selling razors with Federer.

Malone has shown me a lot of guts, but he’s not worth $4 million. I like that gut Helm, he works his tail off. Rangers need a Tomas Holmstrom in their system, I think Cally can be that guy, I know he’s a lot smaller, but i have faith in him to be a 20-20 guy and would Renney please let him park himself in front of the goalie on the PP.

I don’t disagree that we probably overpaid for Drury. That said, I don’t think it was by much. I think people get way too distracted on offensive stats when it comes to contracts. Drury is good all over the ice and great on faceoffs, tough to quantify the value there. Drury’s contract isn’t going to look so outrageous once we see what some team throws at Hossa

Fuck Tiger Woods!! who cares what he has to say about hockey.He’s a phony arragant,cheap,asshole.I played black jack with him about 5years ago at the atlantis hotel in the bahamas.He is a classless jerk who did not tip any of the waitresses once who were bringing him drinks.He ignored every one who had nothing but nice greetings for him.

As for Sather,If he lets Avery walk he will live to regret it.He needs to remember how soft,timid and meek most of his czech boys are.This team came out as flat as can be facing elimination and if not for Korpikoski and the rest of the kids,this team would have slithered away into the off season without putting up a fight.The character of this team is very questionble as is the grit.As I’ve said before,if shit like Backman gets paid 3.2 million than what is a guy like Avery supposed to feel his value is to this team? As for Jagr,I originally was in favor of signing him but now am not so sure.I don’t think he comes here without his caddy and another one or two soft czechs.That to me is unacceptable.His 21g and 49 asstists is replacable with someone like Mike Ryder and more ice time and responsability for Gomez,Dubi,and Drury and other prospects from within.

The Rangers will have to overpay to sign Avery..he’s no fool.
He adds an edge to the rangers dull offense ,but he’s a bit of a character to put it mildly.
Great game last nite, got to give the pens their due for getting to game 6.
The Rangers always over pay for the Free agents ,they will never change.

Ex-Rangers came up big for the Pens. Dupuis set up the first goal, Hall got credit for the second, and Sykora, after calling the shot, won it for them. Who knew that Hall could play centre? With that kind of versatility, he should have been kept back in the day instead of the other Hossa.

The only way you can judge anyone’s value is what happens when he’s there and when he’s not there. By that measure Avery is the team MVP. He’s cut from the same cloth as Maltby, Draper, Cleary, McCarty, all the grit guys who keep Detroit successful year after year from whence he came With all the money that Dolan has poured down the tubes on the Larry Brown contracts and sexual harassment lawsuits, it’d be crazy to throw Avery under the bus for less loose change that he’s now paying Holik belatedly.

I think if Chelios had been on the ice in the last minute there would have been a parade now in Detroit.

The Rangers will not win with superstar forwards unless they somehow find a couple Zetterberg’s or Datsyuk’s… Renney has them playing an “I’d rather have a tooth pulled” boring style of hockey which requires a strong defense. If they get (Or preferably develop) some very good defensemen, it will allow the forwards to maybe actually play, I don’t know… Offense? Instead of having everybody back ALWAYS.

Any chance we can get Tortorella back? He actually knows how to motivate his players and teach a transition game. It’s not his fault that his team couldn’t give him a half decent goalie since they lost the Bulin Wall.

seems a consensus of sober thinking: Avery is valuable but not long term nor big money. Detroit is head and shoulders above us.
I think Jags goes to Russia.
I would like Avery for 3 years, 10 million. We need his grit, but if we get 60 games per year, that would be a lot. He plays bigger than he is.

Jagr is going to want big money and his pick of players to surround him with: that might be the tempting factor out of Russia; a chance to have a team built around him.

Could he possibly do a Fosberg like retirement? rest his body, comeback midseason, and be ready for the playoffs with a smaller contract?

someone floated this awhile back on ESPN Rangers board. It was a pretty well thought out opinion…

The rangers need a new attitude. The want to win now ,rebuild, sign super star f/a ,draft and its a constant mishmash of mediocrity. They made the playoffs 2 years in a row and they still don’t impress.Yep theres a few ex rangers in the finals .these players weren’t good enough for NY but excel elsewhere under a different system,I think Sykora was a free agent and isn’t detroit’s Michael sammuelson an ex ranger?

I think we all agree that life without Jagr is coming soon, why delay the inevitable.

The Rangers have a few players that can step in from Hartford, and there is a lot of younger talent available on the market that wil cost a lot less.

Dane Byers is a Tomas Holmstrom type on the Power Play, and he would immediately add size and scrap to the wings, especially if Avery asks for too much money. Corey Potter can easily be a 6th or 7th defenseman, and maybe even a pleasant surprise like Girardi has been before him.

If only Gomez and Drury would give back some of the ridiculous money they got last year so we could re-sign Avery and Jagr. I agree with you Sam, unless he’s offered something obscene I don’t think Jags wants to leave the nhl just yet. Avery I want back too but yes like you said not a 4 million per year player.

Which means Drury chose the Rangers over Buffalo. And, if he had a reliable scoring winger, he might have matched last Buffalo totals.

Hate to say this now but, the Rangers probably should have kept Cullen and signed either Gomez or Drury, and Ryan Smyth (yeah I know he got hurt but maybe he doesn’t here). Of course, what they got had higher marquee value.

The most crucial decision is Shanahan. If he’s brought back there’s no way the Rangers can achieve unity of purpose like both finalists have. With an up tempo team Jagr would thrive. We’ll see, since he kind of made it known he doesn’t want more “5 in the picture” system from Renney, that donkey.

Renney is totally full of himself. That’s why he coaches like he does. If he turned the team loose and they dialed in and played to win, not make the shootout, he’d be accused of being a good coach in the sense that he stays out of the way.

But if he can get Jagr playing defense then from afar people will say he must be a great coach to get Jagr to play that way. Even if it kills the Rangers the donkey has probably earned another head coaching job after Sather torches him when we miss the playoffs.

As further proof of Renney’s motives, the power play which he never shook up. To the fans he never says I made a mistake, he says we tell them what to do and they don’t do it.

Salt
Again YOU show how much you dont understand or pay attention to detail.

Drury is the future of our team, and I’ve seen you type that at least three times over the past few months
How you want to trade him for Hossa, for an extra million a year and for what is beyond me? No Penalty Kill, No leadership, and an attitude of “I’m coming to NY for a payday”? Talk about signing someone who will fuck our team monetarily.
Thank god you have NOthing to do with the rangers signings

Yes Drury got alot of cash to come here, but he had another par season for what he does, points, PP kills, etc.
And if he didnt “show up” against Shittsburgh, then I guess him getting sliced in the face, and returning to the ice for his next shift means nothing to you? No heart?

i have to admit that during the first half of last year i was pretty pissed that drury had a team worst +/-. that being said, i talked quite a bit of shit about him but after seeing how he closed out the year, especially the last two months of the season, i kind of came around on the guy.

yes we over paid for him and gomez but trading either of those two, ESP GOMEZ, is the stupidest thing we could do.

I’m looking at this team and I’m having a real hard time believing our line up is going to be much different from last year’s at all. There’s maybe 6 UFA defensemen that are going to get offers from damn near every team so i don’t see the pp qb we need ending up a ranger and i dont think malone is the answer on wing either. as far as hossa goes, i dont want to pay him 8 or 9 mil a year so no thanks. if thats the case where we have to bring back jagr and company, this team is going to end up doing about the same as they did last year. and to be honest, id rather they finish dead last in the league and get the number 1 pick overall than make the playoffs as a middle seed and get knocked out in the second round again.

Dude, you don’t even know how much cap space our *top* guys take up, it’s pretty clear you have no idea what is going on.

I could write an essay about this stuff. I’ve done it all year. It’s kids like you who latch onto “marquee value” as someone posted above. Ryan Malone took a bullet to his already broken nose the other night and was back out on the ice for the next period. No one *cares*, thats playoffs, no ones painting him as a captain or anything *because of that*, it’s expected, and its about what you do on the ice not how awesome it is to keep playing after getting cut up.

I take it you’re probably a new fan, but hockey players get cut like that all the time and it rarely sets *anyone* back very long. And you’re still getting warm and wet over Drury returning heroically to the ice after bleeding a little, *as if that makes him a great hockey player or something special*. Comical. I’m infinitely more impressed with Gomez putting on a spectacular show in NJ with the bruised ribs. Get your notebook out: THAT IS A LEADER.

Drury is a huge waste of money/cap space. He basically too small to be an actual defenseman and too stiff/slow to be a really good forward, so he hangs his hat on being “a defensive forward”. *I watched him like a hawk all year. He is really just not that good.* He’s a utility guy. He IS a Ryan Malone. He’s not a guy you build a whole team around. I’m sorry to break your bubble, but he’s just not. AND the *fact* of the matter is that as long as he is here, taking up $7MILLION of cap space a year, *we will not be able to _afford_ that guy that you really _can_ build a team around*….Hossa/Kovalchuk/etc. (and still have the money for the rest of a good team)

Drury’s a good player and I’m sure he tries hard and is hard on himself, but that move is going to haunt us down the line… we should have passed on him at that price.

Buffalo did not say “we’ll match what you get on free market”. If you *read between the lines* it’s pretty clear Drury wanted to stay in Buffalo but they totally blew him off with a “lowball” (probably reasonable in retrospect) number. Face it: Rangers got completely *suckered* again going after a “name”.

Drury’s slash under the visor drew a lot of blood but it didn’t take out an eye. There’s not many players who WONT continue to play after a stick or puck to the face. A cut face, unless it actually gets an eye is WAY different than an actual body injury. If you play, you know why. What’s comical is that people look to *that* as a reason why DRury is great. He played through the most typical thing in hockey. Like I said, I’m just gonna have to assume it’s “new fans” who are impressed with Drury playing with a booboo. It’s obviously commendable… but if thats all you can say for the guy after a whole season…yeah. Shits Weak.

Do you remember what happened to Gomez? They expected him to be out for over a week at least. They thought his ribs were BROKEN. Have you ever had a rib injury? Just _breathing_ hurts like death. He was a *legitimate* game time decision, and he had a STUNNING game. He did not just play, he was ON FIRE. YES, THAT IS A LEADER.

I feel like a stranger in these parts lately, but I try to read as much as I can. My position hasn’t changed on anything. Let Jags walk, tell Avery to get his head out of the F*ckin clouds and make him a reasonable offer under $3.2/per and no more than 3 years.

Other than the same old crap as above…I’ve been busy with moving and all that goes into it. Along with 2 new additions (nephews) to the family.

Yea I am still at the point where it really does not make any difference to me if Jags stays or goes. Definitly don’t strap ourselves so that we don’t have any cap room to play with. If that’s the case let him go. But if he stays he really needs to play ALL 80 games like he did the last 10 games. In fact that just might be a good reason to get rid of him, we all know he can still play but he didn’t decide to until he had to. I really don’t care either way, some part of me would like to see him stay and other part say’s it’s time to move on.

As far as Avery let the City of NY pay for his contract. He has become Mr Popularity since coming to NY and this wouldn’t of happend any where else. And it is not all just hockey fans either. But really I love Ave’s and what he does for the team. And would not want him to go some where else and aggravate us game in and game out. So I really hope they can sign him soon.

Blurt, I really respect you pulling up that post about the Sabres offer… but to be honest I don’t fully buy it.

My understanding of the Drury offer(this is based by reaging his quotes at some point) is that he wanted to stay and resign, and there was a loose agreement on that mid-season… but they kept putting off talks with him for a long time and then when all was said and done, Drury didn’t feel very important to the organization and bounced. I haven’t the slightest clue where to find those quotes right now… but I don’t think it’s as cut and dry as that, at all. I think 5years/$6Mper is what was said in the “loose agreement”, but when it came time to sign those papers, apparently the Sabres were always unavailable to finalize the contract with Drury.

Didn’t similar things happen in Colo & Calgary happen with Drury? How does such an amazing leader and versatile player get “let go” so easily? I think I knowwwwwww.

Salt (aka LArry Brooks)why are you still crying about Drury?
He’s not getting traded, period, get over it.

And do you Play?

And as a NYR fan for 20+ years, and as an ex high school/college/current local league hockey player, you getting so pissed at people respecting drurys cut on his face is stupid. You know how many guys I’ve watched leave games from cuts like that? Even just blokcing ONE shot that he gets down in front of in countless games? YOU obviously never played hockey, so watch your mouth son.

And by the way, I’ve had my fingers broken on both hands, chipped bones in both my feet, as well as sticks to the face in my current league, been skewered by sticks,had a bruised sternum ,blocked shots that took the wind out of me that I puked during intermission and had my nose broken 7 times, so unless your playing on a league like I am, go f yourself.

Ok first off, Salty, its great that you think that we should trade Drury, and I’m not saying its a bad idea. But WHO is going to take him? Only the Rangers. Nobody in their right mind would pay Drury 7 mil so its not gonna happen.

Second, he’s not the future of this team. Well maybe the near future, but hes almost 32 I think so its not like hes all that young.

Fact of the matter is I was watching highlights from last year and as if its not already known, wow do we miss Nylander and even Cullen. I think part of the reason why Jagr didn’t look the same this year is A) his shoulder is not what it was and won’t be ever again (as seen in his followthrough on the shots this year compared to two years ago), and B) the room Nylander used to take up by holding the puck. Jagr ALWAYS went to the slot, even on the PP because Nylander would circle around, open up space for him and Straka to move around and Jagr would be left wide open. That doesn’t work with Gomez or Dubi or Drury because they enter the zone and stop, making it easier for D to cover the forwards.

Just go on youtube to watch highlights from 06-07 and you’ll see what I’m talking about, even though its hard to watch since that team actually tried hard and was much easier to like. haha.

I’m shocked so many people disagree with Salty. His comments are dead-on accurate. Drury works hard, he’s got guts, he plays a solid defensive game, he takes shots/cuts/bruises for the team, and he wasn’t going to tell Glen Sather “You know what, I only want $5million”…but that doesn’t mean he was a smart investment by Sather and the Rangers. That doesn’t mean Drury isn’t tying up cap-space better spent on better players.

We’ve been overpaying for guys for years, even in the Neil Smith era. I hate that fact about this team, but truth is its never going to change and we’re never going to win a cup with that mentality. It sucks too but its the truth. We are probably further from the cup than we were last year. Watching this years’ playoffs and seeing the teams out West and what we would’ve had to compete with and how they built their teams, its just blatently obvious that this years team had no shot at it. I’m not being pessimistic, just speaking the truth.

Salaries for athletes in NY are just like everything else in NY. You know what a 350sqft studio apartment goes for say…in Nashville? Nothing. There’s no market for them. Homeless people have bigger places there. It’s just the way it is. You pay extra for everything in NY. Even 2nd rate fwds like Avery.

and Iâ€™m not saying its a bad idea. But WHO is going to take him? Only the Rangers. Nobody in their right mind would pay Drury 7 mil so its not gonna happen.

…

Oh, I have no delusions of the organization having the skill or real desire to move Drury at this point.
Too many casual fans have heard the name and assume good things, “he just wins”, he does the things no one notices (???), etc.

I know he’s here for the rest of his contract. They have made their bed and now they will sleep in it. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to “complain” about it though, because for the next 4 seasons I’m going to have to see NYR squirm over contract negotiations every summer. When we lose Brandon Dubinsky and Marc Staal to free agency, you can thank Drury’s $85,300 per game contract for that. When we can’t pick up *elite* talent down the road, and continue to sign dinosaurs like Rolston at retirement plan discounts…. you can soothe yourselves to the thought of Drury blocking shots and taking slapshots into the stomach on breakaways.

Believe me, I don’t _enjoy_ being right about Drury. But I have been. I didn’t want to sign him, I wanted Gomez “instead”.

Sure, I was very excited when we got both…but quickly remembered why I didn’t want Drury in the first place at more than $5M: He’s not a true leader and he’s not really much of a threat offensively.

I know it’s not always about points/production… but at $7M… a forward better be making sure he nets at _least_ 30 goals.

Also, it is rumored that Drury has the smallest appendage in the dressing room, AND that his wife Rory has been caught drinking alone with none other than Petr Prucha on several occasions….and Drury didn’t say anything.

NJ: Congrats on your injuries. Sorry your teammates dont have what it takes to return to the ice after getting opened up, that sucks. If you personally cant tell the difference between playing through a rib injury vs playing with a fresh cut on your face, you’ve probably never had a rib injury.

Lighting are not bringing back Tortorella, he would be a great assnt coach and could bring some much needed fire to a locker room full of pansies afraid to hurt anyones feelings. What do you guys think?

on a semi-side note… People have brought up the Drury/Cullen comparison.

I read an article that Cullen was pretty miserable in NY. He mentioned that he didn’t get much of a chance as far as ice time and offensively, and he mentioned that he’d have games where he’d go a whole period without touching the puck.

Its hard for a guy to use his speed and talents if he doesn’t even get touches during the game. I hated losing him, but its better off for him.

I read an article that Cullen was pretty miserable in NY. He mentioned that he didnâ€™t get much of a chance as far as ice time and offensively, and he mentioned that heâ€™d have games where heâ€™d go a whole period without touching the puck.

Its hard for a guy to use his speed and talents if he doesnâ€™t even get touches during the game. I hated losing him, but its better off for him.

………..

(Obviously, I’m fixated)

I truly believe Drury is in an extremely similar position.

1. I don’t think he’s a city guy at all. He should move to Westchester ASAP. I think it would do him and his family well.

2. I don’t think Drury at all fits in NY like he was expected to. Cullen was brought here to be a #2 Center, and ended up #3. Cullen was another player I watched *like a hawk*, and I quickly came to the conclusion that he was just trying waaay too hard. He _never, EVER_ passed the puck in the offensive zone. He tried to score a goal every single time he had the puck, and he would usually shoot too high over the net. He was a guy who came off a Stanley Cup team and thought he was going to be a “veteran” in NY and when he wasn’t immediately, the pressure went on and he went off track very quickly and became nothing more than a utility guy centering some real young guys he had no true faith in/respect for.

I’m not saying that’s Drury to a ‘T’, but there are a lot of parallels. Drury may come to life in the absence of Shanahan (and hopefully Jagr), but I really don’t know.

_Nothing_ about Drury in NY has ever struck me as a natural fit, or comfortable for him…. and it’s because I watched Cullen so closely and saw the fish out of water (and later we of course found out the truth), that I can look at Drury and have my gut tell me “this guy is not going to excel in NY either”…and feel confident that I’m not far off base, that this kind of thing does happen to players. Look at Alex Kovalev. I mean, it’s unbelievable.

I think Drury is solid and will be money well spent. Face it, the guy is a winner. Little League WS, National Championship, Hobey Baker, Calder, a Cup. He’s too sucessful as an athlete for it to be a fluke. He’s good for .7 pts a game, respectable.

With all the stroking on this board about Hossa, lets look at him compared to Drury. Drury and Hossa broke into the league the same year ’98-99. Look at the stats, Hossa is good for about 15 more points a year on average. Drury’s playoff numbers are awesome while Hossa has been a goat up until this year.

No one on here seems to understand that you need forwards on the team that do more than score. Drury plays center and Hossa plays wing. Anyone who plays knows the center has more defensive responsibilities and also has to take faceoffs. I don’t think anyone would argue that Drury is good at both.

When Hossa gets offered $9mn, is it really going to be worth 15 more points. Given that centers make a premium over wings, I don’t feel like we vastly overpaid when you look at the numbers. Christ, Fedorov made $6mn this year. The only other X factor is age, Hossa is few years younger

Salt,
What has the “TRULY ELITE” Marion Hossa won? I find it ironic that you measure success solely by absolute success – ie winning the Cup. However, when demonstrated with a player who has achieved that absolute success at multiple levels you discount it.

Last time I checked Atlanta wasn’t able to build a team around Hossa, Kovalchuk and Savard so how do you build a team out of just one of them?

I think you would agree that Hossa is going to get north of $7mn, are his 15 extra points really going to be worth it?

congrats to the wings on avery well deserved Stanley Cup. they have great leadership and talent from the GM on down and Scotty Bowman is still in the picture to some degree. Their captain is a great leader and player and Zetterberg is amazing 2 way player.

props to the Pens.

Would have liked to see more post game but ESPN news and WFAN with Sam Rosen had good stuff.

Umm, Cliff, they (the dirtbags) have 5 major free-agents. Good try. PS: good teams are often built around good goaltending also, despite what the Red Wings pulled off this year.

And JJP, Drury is the playoff HERO while Hossa’s the goat – right? So why is Drury’s playoff production .7 pts/game and Hossa’s (who’s not had GREAT playoff success until this year) is .8 pts/game?! Check your stats.

Salty, your dealing with guys who get their hockey news from 15 minutes of Mike and the Dog in April discussions (only during years the Rangers make the playoffs) and Michael Kay’s hockey side-kick. Drury has won at “every” level, but he’s never found a home or been the center-piece of a franchise. Marion Hossa played on a team that had 1 line and 2 big defensman (no goaltending), and it’s his fault his team didn’t get out of the first round, ever…perhaps these posters praising Drury’s one ring forgot Drury was shrouded with the talents of Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Bourque…and one other guy, oh yea, PATRICK ROY!

I’m not going to lie to myself or anyone else and believe this team is building. They aren’t and anyone who believes they are probably also believes Sidney Crosby’s the best player in the NHL, and he would “never” dive (both are lies being fed to the public by the Canadien hockey headship). Drury and Gomez were/are not franchise, center-piece, $14million players (7 each). As a result, Sather will have to be extremely creative and resourceful to get the Rangers to another 2nd round (and beyond), especially given the team they/he put on the ice this past year and the potential UFA departures. No way around it.

I’m going to predict this teams best shot at a _legitimate_ cup will be in Drury’s contract year: ’11-’12. That is also *ignorantly* assuming we are able to keep Staal, Dubinsky, Cherepanov and that we do indeed have a legitimate Ace Winger that can handle playing with someone as fast as Gomez, and a true #1 Veteran to pair up with Marc on the back line and chomp minutes.

There you have it, birth is given, *Word is born*.

Unfortunately, we still won’t win it. There is not a winning +culture+ in Madison Square Garden. There never has been. I also predict it will only get worse with the Garden Renovation. Winning is already so far down on the totem pole, just wait until theres a whole new world going on inside there.

You ever notice how rarely they put new rides/attractions in at Disney World? It’s because they don’t have to. People will always be going there anyway. There is no need to keep up with anything, no reason to change *no reason to adapt* as long as the tickets sell….and they always will.

I’m glad I got to see them win in 1994. I just wish I understood better at the time what that really meant.

Salty – i’m expressing the same sentiment I’ve shared ‘almost’ all season. Just that during the season, saying these things led to a complete brigade of anti-anti-Drury comments (there would be 10 people bashing you or I for saying anything NOT distinctly pro-Drury). Now that the waters have calmed and other fans, hopefully, have a clearer picture of this team I’m hoping they peel away the blinders put on their eyes by the media and, especially Sam, Joe, Stan, and the NY ‘Hype’ (including bloggers, no offense Sam W.).

Similar to you, I thought the Rangers only needed one center but I thought Gomez was the poorer decision (based on his 13 goals and 60 points last year, despite playing with Elias, established forward, and Gionta a 50 goal scorer). However, a couple weeks into the season I realized I was wrong and that the better buy (especially since they were the same over-rated price) was Gomez. Honestly, I don’t believe he’s as good as you believe he is – but he is our best center, no doubt. The team needs to focus on making him an 80-95 point guy.

Beer, which RW? From where? And if not a UFA, who’s going to be traded?

Oh Salt, in response to the future plannings, I’ve heard much speculation that Cherapanov may NEVER come to the NHL. He can make just about the same money playing for Omsk, will never have to learn English, and won’t have to change his style to be a better two-way player. He’ll also face easier competition. This is the first year I can clearly recall, non-lockout, where players are electing to go back to Europe. I hope he comes to the Rangers, but it’s not guaranteed he wants to even leave.

Oh sorry I was dreaming. The winner thing is so overrated. He’s a winner when, AND ONLY WHEN, he has the right pieces around him and he clearly didn’t have that this year. Previously being a winner on a team of stars doesn’t mean you should get 7 million. Drury won a cup playing 3rd and 4th line minutes and was surrounded by Ray Bourque, Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Rob Blake, etc. Trust me, I like Drury a lot, but as a Ranger for that money its not worth it.

Two other points, Hossa played on teams where they all failed and it wasn’t just him. When you get on a team like that and they all have that thought process, nobody does well. This year he proved on an upbeat team with a guy feeding him the puck, he can do just fine in the playoffs. He’s not a superstar that can take over a game, but he is a star that can finish.

And Salty, about Cullen, WE brought him in as a #2 center. He was a #3 in Carolina and never played on a top 2 line on any team before that. I blame us for that. Once he moved to the third line with Orts and Prucha, he did absolutely fine and played really well. We did the same thing to Bobby Holik when we paid him like a #1 or #2 center when he was really nothing more than a #3 or 4 center. Its our team that does it to these players. Pays them too much and expects way too much out of them, thats why they feel the pressure and its why we’ll never be good enough for the cup again. We stop overpaying, then we’ve got a shot, but not for awhile until some of these contracts expire or the cap goes up dramatically.

I don’t for a minute think that Gomez is a True Elite player. I do however believe that he has the potential to be half of a Truly Dynamic duo. The catch there is obviously that you need to find the right partner(s) to work with. Think about Die Hard III … those explosives that ignite when the red fluid mixes with the white fluid. Gomez is one of those fluids… pretty much useless by itself. But when crossed with the right substance…”gonna blow shit up nucca”.

Look at a band like Phish. Those guys are useless alone, but when they are together, they are “greater than the sum of their parts”.

The intersting key here, is that this equation does not _*neccesarily*_ require an +expensive+ player. Just the +right+ player. Unfortunately, those two will mostly coincide with eachoth in this case. Worth it? I’ll put it this way, _we can’t afford NOT to find Gomez a partner_.

RE: Cherepanov

He’ll be here. Unless of course he enjoys the affectionate company of men more than women (distinct possibility), in which case, we probably don’t need him that badly anyway.

Yeah Jonny, I undesrtand/agree about Cullen… but I still feel that way about Drury. He’s not a #1 or #2 really, but a really good #3. I honestly think eve $5M is overpaying him for what he’s provided here.

he may have been a #1 in Buffalo, but they kind of had FOUR #1 lines. I mean when you’ve got Tim Connely centering your 4th line… is that _really_ a 4th line?

Johnny my comment about Osgood wasn’t that he was Os-Bad, more like he was Os-Untested. It’s very rare for the winning team (forwards and defensmen) to be that much better than there opponents that the goalie only faces 3-6 quality shots PER GAME! The Red Wings just dominate, they are awesome. I can’t criticize Osgood for his team stealing his opportunity to really shine against breakaways and odd-man rushes but I’m not trying to do that. Instead, I’m crediting Detroit for sculpting an incredibly well-balanced, fast, two-way, amazing transition, team.

BTW; I hope everyone in the World knows that the second best team in the NHL this year wasn’t the Penguins…it’s actually the Sharks or the Stars.

The Sharks should have been better but lost some game-time emotion against the Stars (who were flying!). Then the Stars got somewhat burnt from that 4-OT game and then came out really flat-footed against Detroit.

certain posters are really on the anti Drury kick. they would have gotten Messier on the 1st train out of town after the Rangers missed the playoffs entirely in 1993. lets not give the guy a chance before we call signing him a failure.

is he overpaid I think so. how much time will tell. we have others who are pretty significantly overpaid as well. Including our goaltender, Tyutin, Shanny certainly was including some of his bonus carrying over. And Avery at 4 yrs $ 4 mm per would be another huge mistake. I’m not thrilled with the size of Drury’s contract. But not going to throw him under the bus after 1 year.

I’d try to follow the Detroit blueprint re building around a strong defense. I’d look at drafting a dman all things being equal.

we don’t have a problem with drury. At least I don’t. I feel bad for the guy. I think the bigger point is that sather is killing us and because of these contracts, we can’t build a team and work forward unless we get extremely lucky. If you follow the rangers you know that doesn’t happen. I really hope Drury adds a little more offense and is clutch for this team. I think everyone agrees. But even so at what we paid its not worth it. I hope he has a better year next year even though as of now I think we’ll struggle to make the playoffs and get a bottom 4 seed again. I’ll reevaluate before the preseason though.